The UConn Blog - 2018 NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four
Escalators are for cowards.
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2018-03-31T16:01:16-04:00
http://www.theuconnblog.com/rss/stream/16941525
2018-03-31T16:01:16-04:00
2018-03-31T16:01:16-04:00
Photo Gallery: 2018 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four (Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs UConn Huskies)
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>Notre Dame beat UConn to advance to the NCAA Championship.</p> <p id="F72APV">Here is our photo gallery from the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/a/march-madness-2018-ncaa-tournament">NCAA Tournament</a> women’s basketball Final Four matchup between the No. 1 seeded <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> and the No. 1 seeded <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/">UConn Huskies</a> at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH on March 30, 2018.</p>
<p id="yAcLVp">The <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17182844/final-four-uconn-womens-basketball-loses-an-overtime-heartbreaker-again">Fighting Irish beat the UConn women’s basketball team , 91-89 in overtime</a>, to advance to the NCAA Championship game against Mississippi State on Sunday night at 6 p.m. on ESPN.</p>
<p id="XIjPnf">Photo ©: Ian Bethune</p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17182196/photos-2018-ncaa-womens-basketball-tournament-final-4-notre-dame-fighting-irish-vs-uconn-huskies
Ian Bethune
2018-03-31T13:08:46-04:00
2018-03-31T13:08:46-04:00
What Went Wrong in UConn Women’s Basketball’s Final Four Loss to Notre Dame
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<figcaption>UConn’s Gabby Williams (15) attempts to win the game at the buzzer over Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale (24). | Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The Huskies fall short of the national title once again in a painfully familiar way.</p> <p id="HcU7TD">Friday night’s <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17182844/final-four-uconn-womens-basketball-loses-an-overtime-heartbreaker-again">loss to Notre Dame</a> in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/a/march-madness-2018-ncaa-tournament">Final Four</a> looked remarkably similar to the Mississippi State game a year ago, right down to the final shot.</p>
<p id="kbxIGa">In two straight years, a seemingly invincible <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/">UConn</a> team got punched from the get-go and stumbled in critical moments. The Huskies didn’t execute at a level they were capable of in the biggest game of the season, in part due to a great game plan by Notre Dame, but also because they didn’t handle pressure well down the stretch.</p>
<p id="vfgFrV">Here’s what ailed the Huskies last night in the upset loss.</p>
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<p id="0jIKVv"><strong>Slow Start</strong></p>
<p id="eBU7yX">The Huskies came out flat and they paid for it. After UConn scored the first basket of the game, Notre Dame responded with seven straight points, forcing UConn to play catch-up the rest of the quarter. As a result, they struggled to stay in a consistent rhythm offensively. </p>
<p id="c6jALp">It also put the Huskies under pressure from the opening tip. They never looked comfortable to a point where they could just play their game. Every possession seemed to have a heavy weight to it, and frustration mounted as shots weren’t falling, things this team has rarely had to deal with much.</p>
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<p id="OBt75f"><strong>Struggles in the paint</strong></p>
<p id="yIzS8x">As talented as UConn is, they don’t have as much size and strength in the low-post as other top teams do, even with the 6-foot-6 Azura Stevens and an excellent Napheesa Collier. It hurt them in a big way last night as Jessica Shepard controlled the paint, scoring 15 points with 11 rebounds — five on the offensive glass.</p>
<p id="hon5OP">Jackie Young, who killed the Huskies all night with a game-high 32 points, had five offensive rebounds as well. In the fourth quarter and overtime, Notre Dame had 11 second-chance points to UConn’s five. If the Huskies could have corralled even one of those, it would’ve been a different game. </p>
<p id="oSWxkk">In the Elite Eight against South Carolina, A’ja Wilson and Alexis Jennings combined for 42 points. But those were the only two players that did any damage as the Gamecocks struggled to hit outside shots.</p>
<p id="ZfCu2J">As Shepard controlled the paint, she was aided by 59 points from guards Arike Ogunbowale and Young. The Huskies need to collapse their defense into the paint, giving those two more room to work around the perimeter. </p>
<p id="L5nwCX">Size will continue to be an issue for UConn going into next season. They lose arguably their top interior defender in Williams and although they bring in the 6-foot-4 Olivia Nelson-Ododa, she shouldn’t carry the burden of improving this situation as a freshman.</p>
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<p id="uUkFIY"><strong>Backbreaking Errors</strong></p>
<p id="olniWC">UConn had 17 turnovers and made some of them in the game’s biggest moments. Notre Dame’s defense kept the Husky offense uncomfortable, and it paid off.</p>
<p id="uA5f7j">With 1:32 left in regulation, the Huskies trailed by just one point with the ball. But Gabby Williams turned it over, which resulted in the Irish taking a three-point lead. The next possession, Williams telegraphed a pass and again turned it over, pushing it to a five-point deficit. Katie Lou Samuelson fumbled a pass late in overtime that all but sealed the game.</p>
<p id="T7x20N">Even though UConn eventually tied the game, it took a borderline miracle to do so. The Huskies couldn’t make lightning strike twice in overtime to overcome these mistakes. </p>
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<p id="AyoNnz"><strong>The American Conference is Hurting UConn in March</strong></p>
<p id="AvJmsn">UConn has never lost an American Conference game in the five-year history of the conference. The AAC is barely even putting up much of a fight. Even though UConn arranges a tough non-conference schedule, most of those games take place in November and December. At that point in the season, teams are still trying to figure out their identity.</p>
<p id="RG3xuk">But when the year starts to grind, especially when the stakes rise in late-February and early-March, the Huskies don’t need to bring their A-game every night. Even though they try to schedule non-conference games for February, those are still easy to get up for because they’re the one challenge on the schedule.</p>
<p id="iawe1J">In a conference with better competition, the team will be challenged more often, more regularly, which is important.</p>
<p id="vi7LzN">But they don’t have to keep that level, even though Auriemma and his staff do their best to keep standards sky high despite the existence of Tulane/Tulsa road trips. UConn can’t simulate the pressure of Friday night, where a single mistake could make the difference. They are less unprepared for big games like Friday nights in part because of the conference slate.</p>
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<p id="Xoxrwe">***</p>
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<p id="DWcQpE">This loss will certainly sting for UConn fans for a while, especially since it looked so similar to the Mississippi State loss. The Huskies have now gone two consecutive years without a national championship, the longest stretch since 2011-2012. </p>
<p id="5Uq2tk">Of course, that doesn’t make the season a disappoinment—the Huskies’ run of four-straight titles probably set expectations to a level that no team could really live up to.</p>
<p id="Nmt9Mo">“It’s very, very difficult (to win a championship),” head coach Geno Auriemma said. “For a long, long time, we made it look like it was easy, but it’s very, very difficult, as it’s played out the last two years.”</p>
<p id="ddrUbC">They also lose two incredible seniors in Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams, who have the second most wins in program history with 148. They will be difficult to replace both on and off the court and UConn will need younger players to step up in order to continue their run of dominance.</p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17183178/analysis-what-went-wrong-in-uconn-huskies-womens-basketballs-final-four-loss-to-notre-dame
Daniel Connolly
2018-03-31T12:05:05-04:00
2018-03-31T12:05:05-04:00
WATCH: UConn Women’s Basketball 2018 NCAA Tournament Final Four Postgame
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<figcaption>Notre Dame’s Marina Mabrey (3) and UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson (33) fight for a loose ball during overtime. | Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>Unfortunately, it was déjà vu for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball in the 2018 Final Four.</p> <p id="cV51kn"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/team/164">UConn Huskies</a> head coach Geno Auriemma along with Gabby Williams, Kia Nurse, Crystal Dangerfield, Napheesa Collier, Azura Stevens and Katie Lou Samuelson spoke to the media after the <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17182844/final-four-uconn-womens-basketball-loses-an-overtime-heartbreaker-again">Huskies gut-wrenching loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> in overtime at the Final Four.</p>
<p id="do2hv6">Geno Auriemma:</p>
<div id="BKlzGj"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6cMXuP5sWvs?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="FvZQb8"> <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1620910">Gabby Williams</a>:</p>
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<p id="jGt7ml"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1620909">Kia Nurse</a> and <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1847339">Crystal Dangerfield</a>:</p>
<div id="2YcM3p"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eeQ9uHeOmjA?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="zhsD4W"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1736453">Napheesa Collier</a> and <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1847341">Azura Stevens</a>:</p>
<div id="CvhCi6"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/irv8EWn7la4?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="wQeRJw"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1736454">Katie Lou Samuelson</a>:</p>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17182474/uconn-womens-basketball-2018-ncaa-tournament-final-four-postgame-video
Ian Bethune
2018-03-31T11:03:48-04:00
2018-03-31T11:03:48-04:00
WATCH: UConn Huskies & Notre Dame Fighting Irish NCAA Tournament Final 4 Postgame Press Conference
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<figcaption>UConn head coach Geno Auriemma yells to his players to put their hands up on defense during the Final Four game vs Notre Dame. | Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>Members of both teams along with their head coaches spoke to the media after Notre Dame beat UConn in the 2018 Final Four.</p> <p id="XW18Wb">UConn Huskies (Geno Auriemma, Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams):</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WFinalFour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WFinalFour</a> National Semifinal: Hear from <a href="https://twitter.com/UConnWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UConnWBB</a> postgame ⤵️ <a href="https://t.co/fPl8CUVhrs">https://t.co/fPl8CUVhrs</a></p>— NCAA Women's BKB (@ncaawbb) <a href="https://twitter.com/ncaawbb/status/979935450910490624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2018</a>
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<p id="lvfA1w">Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Muffet McGraw, Arike Ogunbowale, Jessica Shepard, Jackie Young):</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WFinalFour?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WFinalFour</a> National Semifinal: Hear from <a href="https://twitter.com/ndwbb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ndwbb</a> after their epic victory! ⤵️ <a href="https://t.co/RJGQfE6O8u">https://t.co/RJGQfE6O8u</a></p>— NCAA Women's BKB (@ncaawbb) <a href="https://twitter.com/ncaawbb/status/979939720728686592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2018</a>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17182330/uconn-huskies-notre-dame-fighting-irish-ncaa-tournament-final-4-postgame-press-conference-video
Ian Bethune
2018-03-31T00:41:48-04:00
2018-03-31T00:41:48-04:00
Final Four: UConn Women’s Basketball Loses an Overtime Heartbreaker, Again
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune - The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>For the second year in a row, the Huskies go down on a buzzer-beater in overtime at the Final Four.</p> <p id="2wdzKE">It happened again. </p>
<p id="Pa2JZN">For the second-straight season, the UConn women’s basketball team fell in the national semifinal on a last-second shot in overtime. </p>
<p id="ZrOK5X">With the score knotted at 89 apiece, Arike Ogunbowale nailed the game-winning shot with one second left to send Notre Dame to the national title game while simultaneously ending the careers of UConn seniors Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams.</p>
<p id="WZTyOF">“I tried to shoot it at the last [second] because we didn’t want to give them a chance,” Ogunowale said. “I guess I practiced that shot enough and my teammates trusted me with the ball.”</p>
<p id="4kS4bI">Katie Lou Samuelson had a chance to tie it at the end, but the shot rimmed out. It is the Huskies’ seventh-straight overtime loss dating back to December 1, 2004, and the fourth to Notre Dame.</p>
<p id="ekc4Cc">For the second consecutive year, the Huskies were simply outplayed most of the game and despite executing a handful of huge plays, they also made more than a few back-breaking mistakes that they simply could not overcome. They needed a miracle steal and bucket from Kia Nurse in the waning seconds of regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime.</p>
<h3 id="e0zEmK"><a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17182330/uconn-huskies-notre-dame-fighting-irish-ncaa-tournament-final-4-postgame-press-conference-video">UConn Huskies and Notre Dame Fighting Irish Postgame Press Conferences</a></h3>
<p id="8MqPxB">Notre Dame punched UConn in the mouth at the start, taking a 13-point lead at one point. However, the Huskies fought back in the second quarter and went into the halftime up 41-34.</p>
<p id="KfY8C1">But UConn couldn’t pull away as they often do and the Irish fought back to take the lead, starting 13 minutes of heart-stopping back and forth action with the lead changing hands on nearly every possession.</p>
<p id="3D9BUJ">A handful of crucial turnovers at the end of regulation killed the Huskies as they fell behind by four in the final minute of regulation. They fought to bring it within two with 15 seconds left, but Notre Dame held possession on the inbounds.</p>
<h3 id="dsOyOQ"><a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17182474/uconn-womens-basketball-2018-ncaa-tournament-final-four-postgame-video">Geno Auriemma, Gabby Williams, Kia Nurse, Crystal Dangerfield, Napheesa Collier, Azura Stevens and Katie Lou Samuelson locker room video</a></h3>
<p id="pbOwUe">However, Nurse single-handedly extended her college career as she stole the inbounds pass and took it all the way to the hoop to tie the game. The Irish lost the ball on the ensuing possession and gave UConn the ball with just over three seconds left. Williams got a look but could not convert, sending the game to overtime.</p>
<p id="pO7EfW">The battle between the two giants of the sport continued into overtime as neither team gave an inch in the first few minutes. However, the Huskies began to lose their footing similar to the end of regulation and fell behind by two possessions once again.</p>
<p id="qvUjo1">They got the deficit to within three but had to foul. The Irish missed both free throws and Crystal Dangerfield made them pay with a game-tying 3-pointer with 27 ticks remaining. But that meant Notre Dame could hold for the last shot and Ogunbowale took the ball to the near side of the court and put a shot over Napheesa Collier with one second left. The Huskies second attempt at a miracle to tie fell short and thus their season came to another devastating conclusion.</p>
<p id="o6Tad7">Notre Dame deserves a lot of credit for the way they attacked and kept fighting. For UConn, they need to re-evaluate the way they handle high-pressure situations and remember the sun will come out tomorrow. It’s sad to think we just saw Kia and Gabby play their final games in a UConn uniform, but they also deserve credit for their amazing careers and everything they’ve contributed to UConn women’s basketball.</p>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17182844/final-four-uconn-womens-basketball-loses-an-overtime-heartbreaker-again
Daniel Connolly
2018-03-29T22:54:35-04:00
2018-03-29T22:54:35-04:00
Tale of the Tape: The Last UConn vs. Notre Dame Meeting
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<img alt="UConn�s Napheesa Collier (24) attempts a three-pointer over /Notre Dame's Jessica Shepard (23) during the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs UConn Huskies women's college basketball game in the Women's Jimmy V Classic at the XL Center in Hartford, CT on December 3, 2017." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7MhbRqGIibjEiAYg08WDMt5DmYM=/0x0:1999x1333/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59210139/2017_12_3NotreDameFightingirishUConnHuskiesWBB004.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>UConn�s Napheesa Collier (24) attempts a three-pointer over /Notre Dame's Jessica Shepard (23) during the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs UConn Huskies women's college basketball game in the Women's Jimmy V Classic at the XL Center in Hartford, CT on December 3, 2017. | Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>With the Huskies and Irish set to face off Friday night, let’s look at how their matchup earlier this year went down.</p> <p id="w56gsj">Months before the UConn women’s basketball team arrived in Columbus, Ohio for their Final Four matchup against Notre Dame, the Huskies took on the Irish in Hartford on Dec. 3. The game ended up being one of UConn’s closest of the season, as the Huskies rallied back from an 11-point deficit to win 80-71 for their sixth-straight win over the Notre Dame.</p>
<p id="k0maTP">As UConn and Notre Dame get ready to add another chapter to their storied rivalry, I took a look at back at their matchup from earlier this year to see what made it so close. </p>
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<p id="CKDMRB"><strong>Notre Dame’s Big Three</strong></p>
<p id="3P96UG">It may not be as feared or dominant as UConn’s foursome of Katie Lou Samuelson, Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams and Napheesa Collier, but the Irish have a talented core of their own: Arike Ogunbonwale, Marina Mabrey, and Jessica Shepard.</p>
<p id="IkUYeC">Mabrey has had success against UConn in the past and did well to start in this regular-season meeting, scoring 15 of her 21 points in the first half. As Mabrey fizzled out, Ogunbowale picked up the slack, scoring nine second-half points and finishing with 19 on the day. The Irish will ride these two for a chance at a win, and both will need to hit their 3-pointers to create space and stretch the UConn defense. Mabrey is shooting 40 percent from deep this season while Ogunbowale is shooting nearly 38 percent. </p>
<p id="4ncx2n">Shepard, who transferred from Nebraska and was somehow immediately eligible to play this season, has been stifled by UConn in the past but was more of force with her new team, scoring 10 points with eight rebounds and two assists. With better talent around her in Mabrey and Ogunbowale, Shepard won’t face as many double teams in the post, giving her better looks offensively, easier opportunities for offensive rebounds and more time to find open shooters like Mabrey and Ogunbowale on the perimeter. Much like how UConn’s success relies on Samuelson, Collier, and Williams, the Irish will need big games from these three to take down the Huskies. </p>
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<p id="QvX6aU"><strong>The Fighting Irish Frontcourt</strong></p>
<p id="K4nmUz">Like South Carolina, Notre Dame has the size to dominate the Huskies in the post and will try to use that to their advantage. Combine their size with their six-player rotation and it’s likely that Muffett McGraw will try to slow down Friday night’s game. Three in that rotation - Shepard, Kathryn Westbeld, and Kristina Nelson - are taller than 6-foot-2.</p>
<p id="LykrP0">On Dec. 3, the ND forwards combined for 20 points, 13 rebounds and six assists against the Huskies. To have a shot at beating UConn Friday, they’ll need a big performance from Shepard and for Westbeld and Nelson to hold their own on the boards.</p>
<p id="TlSsLe">Unlike South Carolina, which tried (and failed miserably) to beat UConn by only beating them down low, Shepard, Westbeld, and Nelson have perimeter shooters around them in Mabrey and Ogunbowale, which will be critical to their upset bid. Westbeld herself can even step out and shoot the 3, shooting 35 percent this season. </p>
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<p id="dXjURe"><strong>Injuries</strong></p>
<p id="Q62N4a">As UConn fought back from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit, they did so without two of their best players. Williams missed the entire second half due to migraines and Samuelson missed the whole fourth quarter after re-aggravating an ankle injury that she originally suffered against Cal. With two of their main offensive weapons sidelines, the Huskies relied on Azura Stevens (17 points), Crystal Dangerfield (12), and Collier (15) to complete the comeback. </p>
<p id="KYMLB5">Notre Dame has been plagued by injuries in its own right. With four players sidelined due to torn ACLs or other season-ending injuries, the Irish have just seven healthy scholarship players. Guard Lili Thompson, who scored nine points against UConn earlier this year, is one of those injured players after tearing her ACL in conference play.</p>
<p id="AE7Aqu">Barring injuries, it’s highly unlikely the Irish will see a UConn lineup without Williams or Samuelson at any point Friday night, let alone in crunch time. The two All-Americans should be ready to go the distance and try to lead the Huskies to their 12th national championship game appearance. </p>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/29/17178270/tale-of-the-tape-the-last-uconn-vs-notre-dame-meeting
Dan Madigan
2018-03-29T16:05:22-04:00
2018-03-29T16:05:22-04:00
WATCH: UConn Women’s Basketball 2018 NCAA Tournament Final Four Pregame
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<figcaption>UConn’s Kia Nurse (11) chats with a teammate before Thursday’s practice for the Final Four at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. | Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The UConn locker room was open to the media in anticipation of Friday’s matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.</p> <p id="9bmH3a">During their <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/29/17177314/uconn-huskies-notre-dame-fighting-irish-ncaa-tournament-final-4-pregame-press-conference-video">Final Four pregame press conference</a> on Thursday afternoon, the <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/team/164">UConn Huskies</a> locker room was open. During that time, Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams, Napheesa Collier, Katie Lou Samuelson, Azura Stevens and Crystal Dangerfield all spoke with the media before their Final Four matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday night.</p>
<p id="1b7uHK"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1620909">Kia Nurse</a>:</p>
<div id="WH71XT"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PTLiXZfXZro?rel=0&showinfo=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="TefXRY"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1620910">Gabby Williams</a>:</p>
<div id="170g5F"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WMkYwuZ_DdI?rel=0&showinfo=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="eAtfKP"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1736453">Napheesa Collier</a>:</p>
<div id="hFYz4a"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tQB9QNRd-Y4?rel=0&showinfo=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="v9YEUf"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1736454">Katie Lou Samuelson</a>:</p>
<div id="2bhQHO"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-4cHTfXnMeo?rel=0&showinfo=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="eF6997"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1847341">Azura Stevens</a>:</p>
<div id="Pl8ToD"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vEJelRQ6E7s?rel=0&showinfo=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="MmttqE"><a href="https://herhoopstats.com/player/1847339">Crystal Dangerfield</a>:</p>
<div id="lfUtxR"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6QIG57Cp2rY?rel=0&showinfo=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/29/17177394/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-2018-ncaa-tournament-final-four-pregame-video
Ian Bethune
2018-03-29T14:59:16-04:00
2018-03-29T14:59:16-04:00
WATCH: UConn Huskies & Notre Dame Fighting Irish NCAA Tournament Final 4 Pregame Press Conference
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/guo1CYmhyawplewdXXCXxmzEGVI=/0x0:1999x1333/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59205267/2018FinalFourPregame183.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The two opposing head coaches along with selected players spoke to the media before Friday’s matchup in Columbus, OH.</p> <p id="9IqiMl">UConn Huskies (Geno Auriemma, Gabby Williams, Kia Nurse)</p>
<div id="R3vzhr"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E9mYUlDGZh4?rel=0&amp;start=2324" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="M3lRI0">Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Muffet McGraw, Arike Ogunbowale, Kathryn Westbeld):</p>
<div id="pdiPiW"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yDX7r4kyp3A?rel=0&amp;start=2221" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/29/17177314/uconn-huskies-notre-dame-fighting-irish-ncaa-tournament-final-4-pregame-press-conference-video
Ian Bethune